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Sarah Palin on Homeland SecurityRepublican Governor (AK); 2008 nominee for Vice President |
"If you love your freedom, thank a vet." I ask all the men and women who have served or are serving our country to raise their hands. They wave, and the crowd explodes. "God bless you guys! We thank you. You're the reason we can be here today. We salute you!"
The mainstream media has been working overtime to portray these Americans as angry and bigoted. The Stars and Stripes is everywhere, rippling in the spring breeze from outstretched arms and attached to wheelchairs and strollers. Dozens of yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flags glow in the morning sun.
To the contrary, I meet Americans everyday who are engaged in activities to honor & support our troops, whether it is baking cookies, knitting wool caps for those cold nights in Afghanistan, or just writing a letter every once I n a while. Just as important, Americans continue to support our troops and their families after they come home, many of them with serious injuries.
NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg and other supporters of the initiative have argued that not allowing a mosque to be built at a sacred site where nearly 3000 people lost their lives in the name of Islam would somehow violate American principles of tolerance and openness.
Many Americans, me included, feel it would be an intolerable & tragic mistake to allow such a project to go forward on such hallowed ground. Of course the supporters of this project have a constitutional right to build a mosque on private land. But just because they can do something doesn't mean they necessarily should. This is nothing close to "religious intolerance"; it's what our Founders called "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind"--or in this case, their fellow Americans.
A: He's doing awesome. And I'm so proud of him and the decision that he has made along with all the many, many men and women in uniform who--I look at, especially these young men and women and think, they could be doing anything, or nothing; and they have chosen to serve something greater than self. They are not just biding time in their young years. They get it. They understand the need to protect our security and to really be willing to die for our freedom. And when I talk about my son, and he doesn't like me to talk about him; he'll chew me out if he hears about this, but--
A: He may be watching.
A: I don't think he's ever turned on C-SPAN! But I'm proud of him & the decision that he has made because, again, they are serving something greater than self, but as Track would say, don't thank me; thank the troops I serve with & thank those who have gone on before me to allow me to do what I'm doing
I did not apologize for calling it like I saw it and wondered out loud why I was prohibited from calling the other ticket out on more of its strange associations. I was told not to discuss Obama's pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright. I will forever question the campaign for prohibiting discussion of such associations. All the more since these telltale signs of Obama's views have now been brought into the light by his appointments and actions in office.
PALIN: Our nuclear weaponry here in the US is used as a deterrent. And that�s a safe, stable way to use nuclear weaponry. For North Korea under Kim Jong Il, we have got to make sure that we�re putting economic sanctions on these countries and that we have allies supporting us in this, to make sure that leaders like Kim Jong Il & Ahmadinejad are not allowed to acquire, to proliferate, or to use those nuclear weapons. It is that important.
PALIN: Both are extremely dangerous. And as for who coined that central war on terror being in Iraq, it was the Gen. Petraeus and al Qaeda, and it�s probably the only thing that they�re ever going to agree on. An armed, nuclear Iran is so extremely dangerous. Israel is in jeopardy when we�re dealing with Iran. Others who are dangerous dictators are ones that Barack Obama has said he would be willing to meet with without preconditions. And that goes beyond naivete and poor judgment.
BIDEN: Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. Iran getting a nuclear weapon would be destabilizing, but they are not close to getting a nuclear weapon that�s able to be deployed. John continues to tell us that the central war on terror is in Iraq. I promise you, if an attack comes in the homeland, it�s going to come from al Qaeda in the hills of Pakistan. We need to support that democracy by helping them with their economic well-being
A: I don�t believe that new President Zardari has that mission at all. But no, the Pakistani people also, they want freedom. They want democratic values to be allowed in their country, also. They understand the dangers of terrorists having a stronghold in regions of their country, also. And I believe that they, too, want to rid not only their country, but the world, of violent Islamic terrorists.
A: Specifically, we will make every effort possible to help spread democracy for those who desire freedom, independence, tolerance, respect for equality. That is the whole goal here in fighting terrorism also. It�s not just to keep the people safe, but to be able to usher in democratic values and ideals around this, around the world.
A: Any country that is going to house violent Islamic terrorists. We have to keep our eye, of course, on Iran. We�ve got to keep our eye on some of the ongoing activities in Russia, also. North Korea under the leadership of Kim Jong Il--certainly there is a lot of concern there.
A: Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, and that�s with the energy independence that I�ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20% of the US domestic supply of energy, that I worked on as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the oil and gas development in our state to produce more for the United States.
Q: I know. I�m just saying that national security is a whole lot more than energy.
A: It is, but I want you to not lose sight of the fact that energy is a foundation of national security. It�s that important. It�s that significant.
A: You know, there is a very small percentage of Islamic believers who are extreme and they are violent and they do not believe in American ideals, and they attacked us and now we are at a point here seven years later, on the anniversary, in this post-9/11 world, where we�re able to commit to never again. They see that the only option for them is to become a suicide bomber, to get caught up in this evil, in this terror. They need to be provided the hope that all Americans have instilled in us, because we�re a democratic, we are a free, and we are a free-thinking society.
A: In what respect?
Q: Well, what do you interpret it to be?
A: His world view.
Q: No, the Bush doctrine, enunciated Sept. 2002, before the Iraq war.
A: I believe that what Pres. Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made. And with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.
Q: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?
A: If there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.
Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he�s worried that someone won�t read them their rights?
Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.
Congress spends too much ... he promises more.
Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
A: I would push for a strong military and a sound energy policy. I believe that Alaska can help set an example on energy policy.
A: I think candidates are going to be asked, are you doing--and are your intentions to do--all that you can to help secure these United States? And I think every elected official needs to ask themselves that. And I say that, even personally. My one and only son, my 18-year- old, he just signed up for the United States Army. He is at boot camp right now and I�m thinking, you know, this kid is doing all that he can within his power to help secure and defend the United States. Every elected official had better be asking themselves, are you doing as much also? Are you doing all that you can?
�I heard from many Alaskans serving overseas during my trip to Kuwait in July,� said Governor Palin. �One of the most frequent questions was about the status of hunting seasons upon their return. While I can�t grant our troops the chance to hunt in closed areas or in places with species restrictions, I do want to recognize them and help them hunt this late fall or winter when they get home.�
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will re-issue permits for service members who were successful in obtaining lottery permit hunts but were unable to use them. Service members are encouraged to contact their local ADF&G office to learn more about the hunting opportunities that may be available to them.
While many will criticize the merits of war, we must all understand our obligation to support our fellow citizens who are putting their lives on the line to guarantee our freedoms for future generations.
Americans realize they can never fully repay our troops for the sacrifices they have made. These heroes face long deployments that separate them from their family and friends.
On July 7th in every state of our nation, Americans will gather together to express their deep appreciation for our troops. We owe it to the men and women of our Armed Forces. They deserve to know that they are supported by their fellow Americans.
All Americans can be confident in the future of our Nation as these values are passed on to each new generation. Our children need to know that our Nation is a force for good in the world and must understand our past as they prepare to lead in the future.
Each of us should celebrate the gift of freedom that has been earned for us by loyal Americans and join their efforts to ensure our Nation is kept strong so we can continue to live as free people.
NOW, , THEREFORE, I, Gov. S.Palin, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2007 as: Loyalty Day in Alaska, and call upon Alaskans to join in and support this national observance, display the flag of the United States, and reaffirm our allegiance to our Nation.
What followed was equally disturbing after he was captured. He was questioned for only 50 minutes. We have a choice in how to do this. The choice was only question him for 50 minutes and then read his Miranda rights. The administration says then there are no downsides or upsides to treating terrorists like civilian criminal defendants. But a lot of us would beg to differ. For example, there are questions we would have liked this foreign terrorist to answer before he lawyered up and invoked our U.S. constitutional right to remain silent.


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BitLocker can be used as a cryptographic module to fulfill FIPS 140-2 security level 1 compliance.
In a common setup, USB thumb drives can be used to unlock drives encrypted by BitLocker on startup.
What if the encrypted drive is on a virtual machine, is that still FIPS 140-2 compliant?
In a virtual machine setup, BitLocker can be used without a USB drive because one of the drives on the virtual machines' host can act as a virtual USB thumb drive (or partition).
The only problem is that this all sounds really fishy. This kind of BitLocker implementation mostly subverts the protection that BitLocker is providing in the first place.
So is a BitLocker on a virtual machine with a virtual thumb drive FIPS 140-2 compliant?

subset: commoncrawl


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Do you want that feeling? That feeling that only comes when you get exactly what you desire. Do you need that feeling?
Now you can follow Harold and Kumar to White Castle – for free.
The burger company's street teams began passing out 100,000 "free lunch" brown paper bags on Saturday, QSR Web reported. Each White Castle bag can be redeemed for three single cheeseburgers, a regular fries, and a small soda.
The only catch is that the sacks must be redeemed this Monday through Wednesday. On March 5th the promotion is over.
Besides filling your stomachs, White Castle plans to donate up to $25,000 to the children's hunger charity Share Our Strength. They hope reach 75,000 of the -- chew on this -- estimated 12.4 million kids at risk of hunger in America.


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Thousands of scientists and skywatchers around the world have made detailed plans to monitor today's transit of Venus across the sun, but chances are that word of the last-in-a-lifetime event is just now sinking in for millions of just plain folks — so what's the big deal? And what's the best way to watch the transit?
We've had dozens of stories about Venus' day in the sun over the past few weeks, but for those of you who are just tuning in, here are the top 10 things to keep in mind about today's transit, whether your skies are sunny or completely socked in:
1. Get the big picture: Venus comes between Earth and the sun five times in the course of every eight years, but because of the inclination of the planets' orbits, Venus usually misses passing over the sun's disk, as seen from Earth. In fact, that passing-over phenomenon occurs only twice in the typical person's lifetime. Two transits occur eight years apart, but each pair is separated by either 105.5 years or 121.5 years. We had a Venus transit in 2004, and we're having another one today. The next one won't come until 2117. So if you're into rare sky phenomena, today is as good as it gets.
2. Find out when and where: Venus' disk begins to pass over the left edge of the sun's disk a little after 6 p.m. ET, and makes a stately crossing that lasts until about 12:50 a.m. ET. (Of course, the sun will have set on the East Coast by then.) Some part of the transit will be visible from most locations on Earth — though you're out of luck if you're in eastern South America, western Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Antarctica or the middle of the Atlantic.
The precise time when different edges of the planet's disk cross the sun's edge is actually a big deal. Those times vary by location on Earth, and the variations can be used to calculate dimensions and distances in the solar system. Today, so much is known about those dimensions that astronomers can predict the key times of the transit based on your location. To find out what you can see when, use the U.S. Naval Observatory's transit computer.
3. Safety first: This is where I type out the bold-face warning that you should never gaze at the sun without proper eye protection. Sunglasses are not adequate. Neither are black plastic garbage bags, or film negatives. Unsafe viewing can damage your retinas. This video from "Astronomy Dave" Fuller explains the difference between proper and improper eye protection, not only for the transit, but for anytime you want to observe the sun:
4. Use solar-filter glasses: If you've been looking forward to this transit, or if you observed the annular solar eclipse a couple of weeks ago, you probably already have your special sun-viewing glasses. But if you don't, you still might be able to find the glasses at a science-center gift shop, observatory or camera shop. Sheets of solar-filter material may be available at specialty shops, wherever fine telescopes are sold — but you should make sure that the material is considered safe for visual observations. No. 14 welder's glass also serves as a suitable solar filter. But No. 13? Not so much.
Because Venus' disk is only 3 percent as wide as the solar disk, it can be challenging to make out the dark spot without magnification. Paul Doherty, a staff physicist at San Francisco's Exploratorium, makes this comparison: Take a 7-inch-wide (15-centimeter-wide) paper plate, and draw a black dot on the plate that's less than a quarter-inch wide (5 mm). Then tack the plate onto a wall and back up 45 feet (15 meters). That black dot is what Venus will look like as it passes over the sun.
5. Make a pinhole projector: One way to avoid the "gazing at the sun" problem is to make a pinhole projector, which can be as simple as poking a hole in that paper plate and letting the sunlight shine through onto a shadowed piece of white paper. If you want to get fancier, you can build a projection box from shipping tubes, as the Exploratorium explains in this how-to guide. An alternate method would be to use a pinhole mirror or "reflected pinhole," as described in this Trinity College Cambridge guide.
6. Use binoculars or telescopes: You can use magnifying devices to get a bigger picture of the transit, but you have to know what you're doing. The best method is to put a specially made solar filter over the front aperture of your telescope, or over each of the front lenses of your binoculars. (You can also use a filter on one binocular lens and tape over the other lens to shut out the sunlight.) Some folks have carefully taped filter material from sun-viewing glasses over the front lenses of binoculars. But it's not safe to look through a telescope, viewfinder scope or pair of binoculars without a filter on the front end, even if you're wearing sun-viewing glasses. That's because sunlight will be concentrated by the instrument's lenses and potentially burn through the filter or even crack welder's glass.
7. Find an astronomer: You'll have the best experience if you're with a group that includes a knowledgeable amateur or professional astronomer. Science centers and national parks are likely to be hotspots for transit-viewing parties. Your local astronomy club is probably partying it up as well. Check out this worldwide directory of astronomy clubs, or this listing from the Astronomical League. If nothing else, call up the physics department of the closest college or university and find out what's going on.
8. See it on the Web: I'm guessing that most transit-watchers will be getting at least some of their looks via the Internet, particularly if the weather is lousy. Here's a listing of the webcasts that'll be available, including msnbc.com's simulcast of NASA's coverage:
- NASA TV and NASA EDGE at Mauna Kea: The Hawaii show starts at 5:45 p.m. ET, and you should be able to watch it here:
- Exploratorium: The San Francisco science center's seasoned webcast team will be webcasting from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, starting at 6 p.m. ET.
- Univ. of North Dakota SEMS (in Alaska): UND's Tim Young says the road show and the chat will start cooking from Alaska at 5:45 p.m. ET. "It is one of two locations in the U.S. that will see the whole transit," he told me via email. "The other is Hawaii, and other groups are webcasting from there."
- Slooh Space Camera: Slooh starts its rock-solid webcast at 5:30 p.m. ET, featuring a dozen or more video feeds from Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico and other locales.
- Astronomers Without Borders: This show will be webcast from California's Mount Wilson Observatory.
- Coca-Cola Space Science Center: Columbus State University's science center in Georgia is offering pictures from the home base in Columbus, Ga., as well as from Utah, Mongolia and Australia. The webcast gets started at 5:30 p.m. ET.
- Mount Lemmon SkyCenter: The University of Arizona's astronomy center starts webcasting at 5 p.m. ET.
- Appalachian State University: The view from one of the Rankin Science Observatory's 11-inch telescopes will be streamed from Boone, N.C., during a public viewing event.
- Planet Hunters: The exoplanet-searchers will be carrying a webcast courtesy of the GLORIA Project, with live updates from Norway, Australia and Japan starting at 6:04 p.m. ET.
- Bareket Observatory: The webcast from Israel starts at 10:33 p.m. ET, which is around sun-up at the site.
- Kwasan Observatory: Watch a Japanese webcast from Kyoto.
- Sky Watchers Association of North Bengal: SWAN's webcast from India gets under way at around 7:12 p.m. ET.
- European Space Agency: ESA's Venus Transit Monitor will be transmitting images from Norway and Australia. Check out ESA's Transit of Venus blog for more.
- And still more… NASA's Venus Transit website links to more webcasts, as does Space.com and Sky and Telescope.
9. Soak in the science: Since the first transit of Venus was predicted in the 17th century, scientists have been taking advantage of the phenomenon. As I mentioned previously, measurements of the transit timing have been used to derive highly accurate estimates of the solar system's scale. Nowadays, transit observations play a key role in detecting and confirming the presence of planets around other stars. (NASA's Kepler planet-hunting mission has a Web page devoted to today's transit.) Spectral observations during the transit helped scientists determine the composition of Venus' atmosphere, and one of the big scientific projects this time around will use the "Arc of Venus" to unravel more of the atmosphere's secrets.
The Hubble Space Telescope is being enlisted to watch the moon for changes in the characteristics of reflected sunlight due to Venus' passage. Such observations may blaze a trail for analyzing the atmospheres of alien planets. ESA's Venus Express and Japan's Hinode sun-watching satellite will also be on the case. "The most spectacular images and movies should come from Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope, which has by far the highest resolution of any solar instrument in space," said Bernhard Fleck, ESA's Hinode project scientist.
Even if you don't see a single picture from the transit, you've got to appreciate the role that the event has played over the centuries in planetary science. These two videos tell you more about the history of transit observations:
10. Take a picture: Astrophotographers will be having a heyday. On the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit is aiming to take the first pictures of the transit of Venus from outer space, while shooters on Earth will be trying to catch the space station crossing the sun's disk in parallel with Venus, as they did in 2004. NASA has set up a Flickr page for a citizen-science opportunity called the Venus Transit Observing Challenge, which should appeal to lots of amateur photographers. But if you go out to take a snapshot, do it safely and surely. Here's how.
If you capture a great image, please share it with the rest of us. You can send us yourpictures using our FirstPerson picture-uploading page. Here's wishing you clear skies and safe eyes!


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Authors: Use Alliteration for Illumination of Your Book Title by Scott Lorenz
Today we welcome back Scott Lorenz, a book publicist, and President of Westwind Communications, who advises us to use alliteration in the title of our books to help people remember our book titles and to make our book titles stand out. Enjoy!
Alliteration is a very useful literary tool. Alliteration is simply defined as the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words and also the repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in "a peck of pickled peppers." Incorporating alliteration into your book title can help people remember your work and it will stick out in people's minds. Here are a few examples of books with alliteration in their titles:
The Teeny Tiny Teacher by Stephanie Calmenson
The Magical, Mystical, Marvelous Coat by Catherine Ann Cullen
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Love's Labor's Lost by William Shakespeare
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Roger Parker of personalbrandingblog.com explained on his website, "Sometimes the most important lessons in personal branding are the simplest ones, like using alliteration, or repeated "hard" sounds, to make the title of your brand-building book stand out and be easy to remember." You want readers, fans, and your potential audience to enjoy your book's title. Alliteration can help that title roll off the tongue nicely. If your book's title is memorable and fun or easy to say, people will talk about it. The alliteration will stand out in conversation or in the review section of a website.
According to Mike Ball, author of 'Banjos, Boats and Butt Dialing', alliteration can be a very effective tool for a humorist. Ball explains, "I rarely use it for serious subjects but judiciously used, alliteration is an author's best friend. Since humor is all about timing, alliteration forces the reader to participate in the timing you are trying to set up. That's why my book title 'Banjos, Boats and Butt Dialing' gets people to laugh before they crack the cover."
As J.R.R. Tolkien observed, alliteration "depends not on letters but on sounds." Thus the phrase know-nothing is alliterative, but climate change is not."
Domey Malasarn from the website "The Literary Lab" feels that alliteration can belong in titles as well as within your book. "I have used it on occasion myself in places where I thought it was helpful. For example, if I had a sentence like 'Alfred was furious.' I might revise it to "Alfred was angry," because to me it pairs the subject of the sentence with his emotion a little more powerfully."
Puja Lalwani of buzzle.com explains, "The importance of alliteration should not be undermined as just another literary device that is beyond comprehension. It is highly useful and most invaluable, whether just to drive a point home, make for a fun read, or as a marketing tool that will leave your product etched in the mind of the consumer."
On the website, helium.com, Stella McIntyre perfectly outlines the benefits of using alliteration across various mediums. "Although most commonly used in literature, most particularly poetry, alliteration can also be found in non-fiction writing: leaflets, newspaper headlines, advertising and merchandising. Its effect is twofold. Firstly it draws attention to and emphasizes a phrase and secondly, it can create connotations that significantly add to the understanding and enjoyment of a writer's meaning."
The Bottom Line: Alliteration in book titles will help people remember your book title because it will help your work stand out and engage your reader before they even open your book.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it's their first book or their 15th book. He's handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications' book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com or contact Lorenz at email@example.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist Check his blog at: http://www.The-Book-Publicist.com
Book Marketing Video Westwind: http://youtu.be/bTsTCKjLxc8


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Casiano Law Firm
The leading Estate Planning Attorney in San Diego, California
Vincent Casiano, a San Diego Probate, Trust, Elder Law and Estate Planning Lawyer founded the Casiano Law Firm in order to serve seniors and their families throughout California. Mr. Casiano's expertise is in helping clients deal with the complicated and confusing legal and financial issues that arise as a loved one grows older. Will and Trust disputes, contests and litigation. Probate Administration Probate & Trust Litigation Estate Planning - Revocable Trusts – Powers of Attorney – Wills Elder Law and Elder Abuse REStraining Orders MediCal Planning Special Needs Trusts & Conservatorships — Vincent Casiano is willing to speak with potential clients for free.
San Diego (Spanish for 'Saint Didacus'; SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth-most populous city in the United States and the seat of San Diego County, the fifth-most populous county in the United States, with 3,286,069 estimated residents as of 2021. The city is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center. San Diego is the second largest city in the state of California after Los Angeles. Historically home to the Kumeyaay Native Americans, San Diego has been referred to as the Birthplace of California, since it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the U.S. West Coast.
Alta Vista, Alvarado Estates, Azalea - Hollywood Park, Bankers Hill, Bay Terraces, Broadway Heights, California Terraces, Cherokee Point, Chollas View, Del Cerro, East San Diego, El Cerrito, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Fairmount Park


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Dave Johnson Reveals Complete '100 Bullets' Omnibus Cover Montage
Since its beginning in 1999, it's possible that no cover artist has left as indelible a mark on a comic series as Dave Johnson has with his work on 100 Bullets. The acclaimed illustrator provided each cover for all 100 issues of the original series, a new cover for each subsequent trade paperback, and is now illustrating every cover for the Brother Lono miniseries that spun out of the 100 Bullets universe. Further, Johnson has created new covers for the five omnibus editions of the series, with the pieces connecting to show one continuous illustration.
Yesterday via Twitter, Johnson released for the first time the complete, connected work, and you can check it out below.
[Click image to enlarge]
By the conclusion of the eight-part Brother Lono series, Johnson will have illustrated 126 covers for the 100 Bullets franchise, and counting.
[Via Robot 6]


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CHICAGO -- The NFL is doubling down on London.
The league announced Tuesday that the Minnesota Vikings will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at London's Wembley Stadium on Sept. 29, 2013.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the San Francisco 49ers at Wembley on Oct. 27, 2013. This is the first time the NFL will play two regular-season games in London in the same season.
"This is a very significant and important step for our fans in the UK and our teams in general," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "It comes back to believing in the fans in the UK and in London. We wanted to deliver two games to our fans in London."
The Vikings previously played a preseason game in London in 1983.
"This is an opportunity to grow our brand and to grow the game of football internationally," Vikings president Mark Wilf said. "We have fans throughout the world. It will give excellent and exceptional exposure for the team."
The Steelers have never played in London, but did have an exhibition game in Dublin. They have played seven international exhibition games, the last against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto four years ago.
Steelers president Art Rooney kidded that "a certain member of our family has been pushing to have a game in Dublin," referring to his father, Dan, the team owner who is the U.S. ambassador to Ireland.
"We'll be able to play in front of Steelers fans in Europe. It's the first opportunity we've had."
Goodell has long championed more international games. He said some consideration has been given to playing the games earlier than 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) to provide a television tripleheader beginning at, say, 10:30 a.m. in the eastern time zone.
"That may happen in the future," Goodell said.
St. Louis hosts New England on Oct. 28 in this year's game at Wembley.


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MINNEAPOLIS – MarQueis Gray rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score, guiding Minnesota past backsliding Illinois 27-7 on Saturday in the season finale and sending the Fighting Illini to their sixth straight defeat.
Gray took off 27 times to break the single-season rushing record for a Golden Gophers quarterback, giving him 966 yards. Billy Cockerham had 831 yards rushing in 1999.
Troy Pollard's 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the only highlight for the Illini (6-6, 2-6 Big Ten), who wasted their best start in 60 years and put coach Ron Zook's job in obvious danger. Nathan Scheelhaase, who was 4 for 6 for 15 yards in a time share with Reilly O'Toole, lost a costly fumble on one of his five sacks.
Illinois held an opponent under 100 yards passing for the fifth time this season -- Gray went 7 for 14 for 85 yards -- but couldn't stop him from scrambling and converting critical first downs. Jordan Wettstein kicked field goals of 43 and 51 yards for the Gophers (3-9, 2-6), who have won nine of their last 12 games against the Illini.
They held Illinois to 18 yards on 23 plays in the first half and a season-low 160 yards on 59 plays for the game, by far the best performance of the year for a defense playing with a lot more speed and confidence than during that 58-0 loss at Michigan on Oct. 1.
This was the first time Minnesota led from start to finish since winning 17-6 at Purdue on Oct. 25, 2008. The Gophers posted their largest margin of victory since beating Florida Atlantic 37-3 on Sept. 20, 2008, and their biggest in a conference game since a 63-26 win over Indiana on Nov. 4, 2006.
They appeared to want this one more than the Illini, who looked defeated and lethargic except for a first-down run by freshman O'Toole, who jumped up and pumped his fist to fire up the sideline in the third quarter. That drive was extended by a successful fake-punt run by Jay Prosch and capped by Pollard's score, but the Gophers were unfazed.
They danced on the sideline between the third and fourth quarters and kept up their sure tackling throughout the final minutes. The outcome -- and perhaps Zook's dismissal -- was sealed when sixth-year senior free safety Kim Royston sacked Scheelhaase for a 7-yard loss on fourth-and-goal to give the Gophers the ball back at the 5-minute mark.
The Gophers punted on their first four possessions, but they got their first break early in the second quarter when Scheelhaase was sacked and stripped of the ball by Ra'Shede Hageman. Michael Amaefula recovered at the 16-yard line, and Gray slipped out of Steve Hull's tackle on the next play on his way to an easy touchdown run.
Gray owned the next drive, too, finding Da'Jon McKnight for a pair of first downs and a wide-open John Rabe from 8 yards out on third down to stretch the lead to 14-0. Wettstein, the walk-on who took over four games ago when Chris Hawthorne got hurt, nailed a couple of kicks before the end of the half, and the Gophers took a 20-point lead to the locker room.
They padded it on their first possession of the third quarter after a 21-yard punt by Ryan Lankford gave them the ball at their 43. Gray finished the possession with a 14-yard touchdown run, putting a slick juke on DeJazz Woods at the line of scrimmage to jog into the end zone untouched.
The Illini, who beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl last year, have never won bowl games in consecutive seasons. There's no guarantee they'll get invited this time, with more eligible Big Ten teams than assigned slots.
Zook, 57, is 34-51 in seven seasons, a winning percentage that ranks 11th among the 13 Illini coaches who've coached more than one season.


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We asked directors, coordinators, and professors of full- and low-residency MFA programs to offer some advice for prospective students trying to decide which programs are right for them. Here's what they said.
MFA applicants should read the books of faculty members in numerous programs, with the ultimate hope of finding not just a mentor, but an aesthetic ally. When I applied to graduate programs I checked dozens of books out through interlibrary loan, covered the names up with sticky notes, and read the work with no knowledge of the author's identity. As writers, we know when we've found the writing of a kindred spirit, or someone who makes us consider the world in a new way. I recommend giving as much weight to the page as to the name.
Mary Biddinger
University of Akron in Ohio
Beyond important stats on the website—program and class size, duration, funding, teaching and editing opportunities, faculty Who's Who, curriculum (genre workshops? more?), alums—lies a program's personality. So surf the web, e-mail, phone, or visit, asking: How accessible are faculty? Does the program interact with department, campus, town? Will you starve on the stipend? How's the food? How's the artistic mischief in and around the program? Are genres separate camps? Do the readings rock? Who edits the mag? Do the classes make you want to write? Does the aesthetic bent get bent? Where are people from? What do they do on Thanksgiving?
Robin Behn
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa
Talking to students who are in the program right now is key. They can
give you the lowdown on the tone of the workshops and the atmosphere of the program. Read the work of the writers on faculty and match yourself up with writers whose work challenges and excites you. Consider the variety of electives and internship possibilities—if you are moving to a new location, immersion in place is an education of its own. Find out how flexible the program is about experimenting in a second or third genre. Trust your gut, but don't go into too much debt.
Aurelie Sheehan
University of Arizona in Tucson
When applying to MFA programs, I asked myself three questions: Did I like the work of the faculty? (Don't apply anywhere unless you do.) Did the program support its students financially, either with fellowships or teaching assistantships? (It makes no sense to go into debt for an MFA.) Was the program located somewhere I wanted to live? (Life goes on while you're in school.) It's always good to talk to faculty members and current students to get a sense of the moods and attitudes of a given school, and to visit if possible, but for most people these should be the three primary questions.
Geoffrey Brock
University of Arkansas in Fayetteville
Applying MFA students should consider: (1) Whether they want to relocate. If not, a low-residency MFA program might be the best choice. If yes, traditional MFA programs might work. (2) Whether they prefer MFA programs representing all literary genres, or programs focusing on one or only a few closely related genres. (3) The quality of books published by MFA faculty. (4) Each program's commitment to quality teaching. Applying students should query active students. (5) The ambience of each program: Look for high aesthetic standards and a supportive environment that lends itself to the nurturing of new art.
Stephen Haven
Ashland University's low-residency program in Ohio
Prospective students tend to sweat too much over the status of the program, but the important thing is to find a place where you can write and learn how to live as a writer. This is a time to dedicate yourself to the art, so you need to think about what will allow you to do that, and what will get in the way. Some writers thrive on competition and big communities; others need peace and quiet. Not every program suits every writer. Pay attention to how faculty and students strike you. This is a relationship, not a buffet.
Martin Corless-Smith
Boise State University in Idaho
What to consider when applying to MFA programs: Where: Do you want to be a city mouse, with myriad distractions that might stimulate your work; or a country mouse concentrating entirely on that piece of cheese? Size: A small cohort of your peers whose personalities and work you will come to know well; or a large group in which it might be possible to work quietly and almost anonymously? Reputation: Are the faculty members writing novels and poems that you respect, admire, and feel you can learn from; are the alumni, celebrated or not, doing the kind of work you would like to do, and is it appearing in the places you would like to be in? Aid: An artist should be willing to make sacrifices for his or her art; nonetheless, it is grand to have one's tuition covered. Teaching: Can one teach creative writing workshops both at the university and in the wider community? Nature of the program: Do you want a leisurely experience, one that might last for some years, during which you might discover yourself as a writer (and find a spouse); or would you prefer an intense, rigorous, and even scholarly program? Would you learn most from a cohort that resembles you; or would you grow more from a workshop diverse in age, nationality, background, and interests? No program is right for everyone. Call some recent graduates and ask them about the experience. They will help you more than what I have written here to make the right decision.
Leslie Epstein
Boston University in Massachusetts
Faculty artistry is paramount. Read professors' work! Do you get goose bumps? Ask MFA writers in the program if faculty show a genuine interest in their work. And are there generally enough assistantships to go around? Be wary of large workshops and/or ones with a remarkable number of non-MFA candidates in them. Can you work on a magazine or press? Can you teach a section of creative writing? Ask whether the program requires an electronic thesis. If so, will your thesis be subject to unbridled access on the Internet, access after an embargo period, or something else?
Wendell Mayo
Bowling Green State University in Ohio
Choose a program with professors whose work you love, though certainly be open to aesthetic diversity. Place matters, whether it's loud and clanky cityscapes that feed your work or easy access to Walden Pond. And, of course, don't neglect such practical considerations as the financial package you're offered, cost of living, the presence of a reading series, access to museums, teaching opportunities, the chance to help staff a literary journal. You'll likely learn as much from classmates as professors, so surround yourself with other engaged writers, as measured by where alumni have published. Before signing on the dotted line, ask current students what they like and don't like about a program. Finally, throw yourself into the maelstrom and don't look back.
Lance Larsen
Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
There are many factors one should consider. The quality of the faculty. The size of the program (if too small, it can feel incestuous; if too big, you can get lost). The location. Is there an opportunity to teach? How expensive is tuition? Finally, visit a workshop if you can; go out with the students for beers. You'll learn more about the program that way than from all the statistics you can compile. At Brooklyn College, we get over five hundred applications for fiction alone. It's two years of your life. It's worth making the trip to see the program up close.
Joshua Henkin
Brooklyn College in New York City
Be practical, and not practical. Writers have to be both: Start now. The prospective student should pay attention to pragmatic issues: Get a good financial arrangement, at least keep your debt under control; look for the teaching and editing programs that suit you best, a city you like, writers you want to meet. But pragmatics mean nothing if the program won't make you a better, more fulfilled artist, and that part of the decision is subtle and personal and sometimes surprising. Before you decide, try to visit, watch a workshop. Try to see the teachers and students in downtimes, for example, just before or after class: Those are revealing. And don't be afraid to make an intuitive choice—you'll be making lots of them later, if everything goes right. Hope this helps.
Andrew Levy
Butler University in Indianapolis
Here is the most important thing: The best MFA program is the one that's best for you—for your writing and related professional aspirations. Don't rely on any "best of" guides or hearsay. Know your writing and where you want to take it. Are you an essayist? Make sure there's an accomplished essayist teaching workshops in your dream program. Read what the faculty members in your genre are writing. Read their latest works in journals as well as their books. If they have interviews, articles, or reviews, read those, too. Do an aesthetic check. How likely are they to understand and embrace your vision? Are they superstars? Make sure they actually teach classes. Writers often teach or work as editors. Will your dream program allow you to teach and edit? Look for in-house and national literary journals, a solid reading series, a sense of community, and an opportunity to teach creative writing as well as composition.
Jocelyn Bartkevicius
University of Central Florida in Orlando
Prospective students should ask, What makes this program different from any other MFA program? Is there a specific focus? Are there certificates or concentrations that add value to the program? Prospective students should also quiz both current students and alums about the kind of relationships they have with the faculty. Are these relationships nourishing and sustaining (that is, do they continue beyond graduation)? Do the faculty seem too busy or overworked? What is the student-faculty ratio? Are there examples of faculty going above and beyond their job description to help students?
Sheryl St. Germain
Chatham University in Pittsburgh


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About this Project
Building Strong Geoscience Departments is a project focused on helping geoscience departments adapt and prosper in a changing and challenging environment. Through workshops, this website, professional society meeting sessions, and publications this project aims to stimulate discussions and disseminate community expertise on topics such as approaches to core content and curriculum, retaining and recruiting top faculty and students, and maintaining the department as a valued institutional partner. The Building Strong Geoscience Departments program is sponsored by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the American Geosciences Institute , the Geological Society of America ( This site may be offline. ) , and the American Geophysical Union .
- Cathy Manduca (SERC, Carleton College)
- Geoff Feiss (College of William and Mary, Emeritus)
- Heather Macdonald ( This site may be offline. ) (College of William and Mary)
- Carol Ormand (SERC, Carleton College)
- Randy Richardson (University of Arizona)
Getting Involved
There are several opportunities for geoscience departments (or individual faculty members) to become involved with this project:
Contribute to Online Collections
- Are you a faculty member working at the edges of geoscience, perhaps doing work that is multidisciplinary, unusually collaborative, using sophisticated technology and large data sets, utilizing a systems approach, or studying the applications of geoscience to societally relevant issues? Does your department have a particularly strong or interesting course, curriculum, or program? Do you have thoughts to share about how to mentor students, maintain a healthy faculty, or work within the larger institution? Submit a description of a faculty member, a course, a curriculum, a program, or your department for inclusion in our collections of profiles.
- Are you an employer of geoscience graduates or a recently employed graduate? Do you have thoughts to share about the knowledge, skills and abilities employers are seeking? If so, please email Carol Ormand to find out how to contribute to our collection of employer and employee interviews.
- The Geodepartments email list is an email list where members can post and receive announcements about relevant workshops and events at professional society meetings, as well as discuss issues that are important to the community. Join the email list or browse through the list archives to see the kinds of topics that have been discussed in the past. Note: you must join this list to post messages to it.
- We convene several workshops and conference sessions each year for interested faculty members. Workshop participants are part of this research project, so we do analyze information submitted in application and registration forms, as well as materials created as a result of the workshop. Read more about participating in the research aspect of this project.
- Since 2004, several activities have contributed to our vision for the Building Strong Geosciences Departments project.
Geodepartments Email List
As a Workshop Participant
Community Visioning
Download the Project Brochure. (Acrobat (PDF) 1.1MB Oct15 09)
Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


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Aol (which is my employer, somehow) has picked up local photosharing app Hipster for an amount in the low seven figures, we're hearing. The Hipster team of five will be working for the Aol mobile team out of Palo Alto, under badass Sol Lipman.
CEO Doug Ludlow confirmed the acquisition to us in an email, saying he will serve as director of mobile product management, a job that will involve, in part, being an evangelist for Aol's mobile efforts to other mobile teams and startups.
And unlike most other deals where big companies hire small teams, this doesn't mean the death of Hipster as a standalone product.
"The culture that Sol, David, and the team have created over at the AOL Mobile Team in Palo Alto is pretty amazing – it's a group of people we can't wait to starting building cool stuff with," Ludlow says. "We're also thrilled that Hipster is not only going to stay open as a product, but we'll now be able to improve it / build even faster."
Hipster first revealed itself to the public about a year ago through a mysterious landing page promising that "something cool is coming to San Francisco." That, combined with the company name, was enough to drive massive interest. Eventually, when Hipster fully launched to the public, it pivoted away from its original focus, local Q&A, into an app for creating digital postcards (like the acquisition-themed one above, created by Ludlow). However, the company was probably better-known for its publicity stunts, which included recruiting engineers by offering $10,000 in cash and a year's supply of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and a contest to send a user into "space" (in reality, a zero-G flight).
The company's investors include Google Ventures, Lightbank, 500 Startups, Mitch Kapor, Dave McClure/500 Startups, Lightbank, Charles River Ventures, Max Ventilla, TechStars David Cohen and David Tisch, Google's Don Dodge, Paige Craig, Ludlow Ventures, and Lerer Ventures.
[Anthony Ha ended up writing some of the post, because journalism!]


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SAN FRANCISCO – Police1.com, the leading online resource for the law enforcement community, is proud to announce that the Police1 Academy, a comprehensive online training platform for law enforcement agencies, is now approved by the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.
The approval of the Police1 Academy is the first by Colorado POST for online training. As an approved training provider in the state of Colorado, the Police1 Academy can be used by departments statewide to satisfy annual law enforcement training, eliminating the need for travel expenses and overtime of officers.
POST Training Region scholarship funding may be used for subscriptions to the Police1 Academy.
"After a detailed review of their instructor resumes and course outlines, Colorado POST believes that Police1 Academy's courses offer a unique opportunity for peace officers, especially in small and rural agencies, to get high quality training and information," said Peter Dunbar, Director of Colorado POST.
The Police1 Academy, which launched in January 2011, now serves more than 175 departments in 38 states. Currently the Academy is a certified training provider in Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, and is eligible to be used for training credit in an additional six states.
With more than 500 high-definition training videos from leading law enforcement experts, the Police1 Academy offers departments cost-effective access to top-quality police training for an annual subscription based on agency size. Training videos are accompanied by detailed lesson plans and quizzes, covering topics ranging from active shooter to leadership. The Academy also includes 68 one-hour courses that qualify individuals for certificates of completion.
"The approval of the Police1 Academy by the state of Colorado is further paving the way for a revolutionized and cost-effective method of training among departments," said Alex Ford, CEO of Police1. "The rapid growth of the Academy thus far is a testament to the importance of a budget-friendly, quality training solution for departments across the country."
Submit a request online or call (866) 941-4090 to get free preview access to the Police1 Academy for your department. To learn more about Police1 Academy, visit http://www.PoliceOneAcademy.com/.
To inquire about approval in your state, contact Nicole Forzano at (415) 962-8341.
About Police1 Academy
Police1.com, the leading online resource for the law enforcement community, is the proud owner of the Police1 Academy. With more than 500 videos in more than 50 categories, Police1 Academy gives departments' instant access to training that will advance officer's performance and help to keep them safer on the streets. Police1 Academy offers an advanced delivery system that ensures a high quality of streaming along with access to training materials 24/7.


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Live 9 has been lit up by its own dedicated controller - Push. Here we get hands-on and show you how to sequence a beat using the new device.
• For many more Ableton Live guides go to our massive learning hub: Learn Ableton Live and Ableton Push: music production tips and tutorials
Step 1: Let's use Push to step sequence some drums. With a new project started and a MIDI track loaded, we need a sound source, so we hit the Browse button on Push to hunt for a drum kit. Push can only browse the Live library - third-party plugins and sounds have to be integrated into it to show up in the browser.
Step 2: You can freely record a part of any length you like, but since our drum loop is two bars long, we'd like our percussion to match it automatically. Holding down the Fixed Length button presents us with a range of musically logical clip durations to choose from. We opt for 2 bars, then hit Record and perform our part live on the pads.
Step 3: Push's Repeat function enables rolls of varying speeds to be generated by holding down the pads: we turn Repeat on and hold down the conga pad to generate an eighth-note roll. The Grid buttons to the pads' right set the Repeat rate, and the pressure applied to the pad controls the volume of the repeats. We activate record again and capture our roll.
Step 4: The loop length is set using the bottom-right 4x4 block of pads. Starting at its top left, each lit pad represents one bar. At the moment we have a two-bar loop: the green button shows which bar is currently playing, while all other active bars (or bar, in this case) are lit up blue. If we were to hold down the top left pad and hit the bottom right one, we'd have a 16-bar loop.
Step 5: At the moment, all our kick drum hits are at the same velocity. Pressing the Accent button sets the velocity of newly entered notes to maximum. Here we're upping every other kick drum to maximum velocity before returning them to the regular level.
Step 6: Next, we place a snare and handclap on the backbeat. At the default velocity level, the snare is a bit quiet, though, so we press the Accent button on the right-hand side of the unit and re-enter the hits to set them to maximum velocity.
Step 7: Holding down a pad in the step sequencer gives access to three editing functions for that note via the rotary encoders. The first is Nudge, which enables us to shift the selected hit left and right. The second is Note Length, which doesn't work for our one-shot clap sound, but would shorten or extend a sustained synth sound. Finally, the third encoder adjusts the Velocity.
Step 8: Now for some hi-hats. We tap in closed hats on the offbeats and an open hat on the last offbeat of the second bar. Individual drums can be soloed and muted: holding down the Solo button and hitting the kick drum pad solos the kick, for example, while holding down the Mute button and hitting the same mutes it.


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On Saturday, I noted Mitt Romney's partnership with Obama science adviser and long-time Malthusian crank John Holdren in creating the "toughest" CO2 emissions limitations in the nation, and the resultant need for Massachusetts to import more of their energy in the years that followed. However, Holdren wasn't Romney's most significant appointment for environmental issues. Douglas Foy served as Secretary of Commonwealth Development in Romney's cabinet for most of his term, and demonstrates Romney's complicated — and contradictory — record on climate change.
Foy came to the Romney administration in Massachusetts with a solid record on environmental activism as head of the Conservation Law Foundation for the previous 25 years. Under his direction, the CLF used the courts to block the building of the Seabrook 2 nuclear plant and stop off-shore drilling in the Georges Bank region. Romney picked him in 2003 with this record in order to bridge the gap between environmentalists and Republicans and to craft a reasonable approach to environmental issues.
How did that work out? Foy's name doesn't get a mention in the 2005 memo that praises Holdren as a partner in the CO2 regulations, although it's hard to imagine that Foy didn't take part in the regulatory effort. Foy did produce, along with Romney, the "Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan" of 2004, which proposed a regional cap-and-trade carbon-trading system as well as an interstate "CO2 Registry" partnership that would have pressured businesses to "disclose their greenhouse gas emissions inventories and reduction programs." Was that voluntary? Well, read this and determine for yourself just how voluntary it sounded:
By recording emissions and reductions in a consistent format, the registry will ensure that Massachusetts' sources receive all appropriate consideration for verified emissions reductions under any existing or future greenhouse gas regulatory regime[.]
Basically, Foy wanted to tell businesses that by self-reporting immediately ahead of the coming cap-and-trade system, they could establish a more reasonable baseline for reduction targets. A rush to compliance would have given Romney's team some political cover on the imposition of a cap-and-trade system by saying that the early participation showed that the business sector was on board the plan.
How did that work out? In the end, Romney ended up reneging on his 2004 plan and hanging Foy out to dry about the same time Romney started thinking about a presidential run, as the Observer related in 2006:
Take the case of Douglas Foy, a former president of the Conservation Law Foundation. Mr. Romney, upon winning the governorship in 2002, deputized Mr. Foy to develop an environmentally friendly "smart growth" blueprint for the commonwealth.
It seemed a perfect illustration of why the state's independent suburbanites had flocked to Mr. Romney: A machine Democrat would have made a patronage pick, while a right-winger would have sought out a James Inhofe clone.
Mr. Foy didn't disappoint, promptly teaming with counterparts throughout the Northeast to create the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a miniature Kyoto Accord aimed at stemming carbon-dioxide emissions.
Then Mr. Romney made up his mind to go national—and suddenly, Mr. Foy's work reeked of Al Gore–ism. So the governor, unlike his five fellow governors, refused to sign onto the agreement and pushed Mr. Foy out.
The Boston Globe also noted Romney's reversal:
Then, in December, Romney decided not to partake in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a first-in-the-nation plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions from Northeast power plants. Despite Foy orchestrating last minute negotiations and concessions, Romney still rejected it.
Yesterday, Foy said he was still proud of his effort with the pact and expects Massachusetts to embrace it one day. Romney, meanwhile, has proposed a far weaker program to limit carbon dioxide at the state's dirtiest power plants.
Romney has been a staunch opponent of the proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound, while Foy backed the idea.
In 2011, Romney's plan calls for drilling for oil in the US and building nuclear plants. In 2003, Romney appointed a man to his Cabinet who had successfully blocked both, and Romney abandoned Foy's cap-and-trade regime in 2006 after backing it publicly slightly less than two years earlier. The question that arises from these memos, proposals, and regulations is which Mitt Romney we're seeing right now, and which we'll get if he wins the nomination and the election.
Updates: I'd like to answer a couple of points from the comments. First, there seems to be confusion between the cap-and-trade proposal and the CO2 emission regulations in the first post. Those regs did go into effect, as Romney's 2005 memo made clear; Romney backed away from the regional cap-and-trade system.
Next, a few Romney defenders claim that it's unfair to criticize Romney on these because either (a) it was only a state issue, or (b) Romney eventually rejected some of these proposals. Both are absurd. Governors run on their records, and if Romney appointed people as Governor who are Malthusian cranks and lawsuit-happy enviros that kill nuclear power and oil drilling projects, then that's absolutely germane to both his judgment and his policy leanings. Furthermore, as the Observer pointed out, the retreat on Foy's proposal came curiously close to the time when it appears Romney began thinking about a run at the Presidency in 2008. That goes to credibility.
Finally, for those who gripe that I'm doing Obama's work for him … please. We're not supposed to vet our primary candidates, especially on their records? Why not just go straight to the swimsuit competition?


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ATLANTA, July 1, 2014 – Racemi, a provider of automated server migration software, has closed a $10 million Series C round of venture financing.
The round included new investors, led by Milestone Venture Partners, along with existing investors Harbert Venture Partners, and Paladin Capital Group.
The funds will be used to further scale Racemi sales, services and engineering to meet growing demand for its cloud migration software, which automates the process of migrating workloads to public, private and hybrid clouds.
"The increasing adoption of cloud computing presents a tremendous opportunity for Racemi and this round will help accelerate our efforts to enter new markets and deliver the truly unique capabilities of our solution," said Lawrence Guillory, CEO, Racemi. "We are continuing to build on our momentum and strong growth. In the past year, we announced partner agreements with IBM, Phoenix NAP, Windstream, plus others while strengthening our partnerships with Amazon Web Services and VMware, as well as successfully expanding into the European and Asia-Pacific markets."
The Racemi server imaging technology quickly clones server workloads between dissimilar physical, virtual or private cloud platforms, reducing the migration process from days to minutes. The Racemi software captures the entire server stack—including operating system, applications, and configuration—and automatically converts it to run on the target platform by applying the necessary tools and drivers during the migration process. This ensures existing workloads are migrated in their time-tested configuration, which leads to better reliability and ability to be supported. Racemi has the broadest range of physical, virtual and cloud platforms coverage in the industry (listed here).
"There are two strong forces propelling Racemi growth – one is the overall markets' increasing adoption of cloud computing and the other is market validation of Racemi's technology for the rapid migration of workloads into public, private, and hybrid clouds," said Morgan Rodd, of Milestone Venture Partners. "We, along with Racemi's other investors, want to ensure that Racemi has no barriers to realizing its potential."
The company closed a $7 million Series B round of venture financing in July 2012.
About Racemi
Racemi, the moving company for the cloud, has been named a "Cool Vendor" and has thousands of customers, users, and partners around the globe. The company builds server provisioning and cloud migration technology that allows businesses to quickly migrate their existing physical and virtual servers between dissimilar physical, virtual, and cloud platforms and across geographies. For CSPs (cloud service providers), MSPs (managed service providers), and hosting providers, Racemi is the easiest, most reliable method for onboarding customers to their public, private, or hybrid cloud offering. Racemi also enables customers and partners to automate private data center provisioning by leveraging its market-leading server imaging technology to rapidly provision physical, virtual or private cloud servers in any automated use case. For more information, visit www.racemi.com.
# # #
Racemi, the moving company for the cloud, are marks of Racemi. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.
Glenn Rossman, Baker Communications Group, 914-623-8354, email@example.com


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Sporting Holidays in the UK
No matter if you are an active person looking for sporting holidays or prefer to only watch on one of our luxury cruises, you don't have to go far to enjoy sports. The UK is a premier sporting destination for a variety of sports and a host to a number of prestigious sports events. The Olympics probably won't be held so soon if you perhaps missed the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games but there are many sports to enjoy playing and watching in Britain each year. The highlights include:
Golf. There is no better place in the world to play golf and buy golf clothes than the home of golf – Scotland. While the origin of the sport remains a matter of debate, there is no doubt that golf as we know it today was developed by the Scots as early as the Middle Ages. We recommend the Old Course at St Andrews which is widely regarded as the oldest golf course in the world and a host of many prestigious golf events. Another premier golfing destination is Muirfield in Gullane that will host the 2013 Open Championship. But if you would prefer a golf course closer to London, you can visit the Wentworth Club in Virginia Water that annually hosts the BMW PGA Championship since 2007.
Tennis. Britain is also a Mecca for tennis fans and players who come to London from all over the world to be a part of Wimbledon, even if only as spectators. It is the oldest and widely considered the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. One of four Grand Slams (the other three being the Australia Open, French Open and US Open) is held annually in late June and early July, while the finals are always played on the second Saturday (Ladies' Singles) and second Sunday (Gentlemen's Singles). Besides Grand Slam, London also annually hosts the ATP World Tour Finals that is played by top 8 players of the ATP Ranking. It is held at the O2 Arena every November.
Cricket. Besides national championship, Britain is also regularly hosting many prestigious international cricket tournaments. In 2013, London, Birmingham and Cardiff will host the last ICC Champions Trophy as it will be replaced by the ICC World Test Championship. The inaugural World Test Championship was supposed to be held in England in 2013 but it was postponed to 2017 due to financial reasons. But there is good news for cricket fans. In 2013, The Ashes will be hosted by England again. The most important cricket competition – the World Cup will be hosted by England and Wales in 2019 (for the 5th time).


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Google has added the first interior Street Views of businesses to Google Maps.
Select businesses in the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have volunteered to pose for the Google photographers. However, at the moment, the interior Street Views aren't implemented very well with Google Maps. Unless you have a direct link to the interior view it is very hard to find the available inside views of business.
The business Street View panoramas are not linked via arrows from the outdoors Street View. The only way to discover that an inside view exists is through the business page on Google Places. Even then it is a little difficult. You have to click on the photograph of the business that includes a little pegman icon.
The initial photograph however is usually an exterior view which links to an exterior view on Google Maps Street View, with again no way to access the interior view. So what you need to do is find the photograph with the little pegman icon and then press on the arrow to find an interior view. Then you can click on the photograph and you will be taken to the interior Street View on Google Maps.
Not exactly easy. I'm not sure why Google hasn't just added arrows from the exterior Street View to the interior view. I guess that will come eventually.
If you want to do a little on-line window shopping Google has put up a site showcasing the added businesses called Business Photos from Google.
Via: Google LatLong


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VIDEO: Shocking CCTV footage released to put the brakes on reckless drivers hitting refuse workers
and live on Freeview channel 276
In a bid to crack down on the risks posed to refuse collectors, waste company Biffa fitted all new lorries with 360 degree cameras to help pursue prosecutions.
The company said workers had previously seen dangerous drivers as an occupational hazard, and estimates there are 30,000 incidents of motorists driving recklessly on pavements every month - or about 1,000 per day.
Video footage shows drivers mounting pavements in trucks and vans to avoid the lorries and even bumping into workers.
In one shocking near-miss, a little boy riding his bike along the pavement is just a few feet away from being hit by a driver who veers towards him to get past a bin lorry.
A spokesman for Biffa said: "The issue is far, far greater than the industry, or the public, could ever possibly imagine.
"The careless behaviour of drivers has been accepted by our staff as 'part of the job'.
"Up until recently, many rarely reported such incidents to their managers, let alone the police."
Two years ago Biffa started fitting cameras to bin lorries in a bid to prompt workers to report the incidents, as 94 per cent went unprosecuted despite driving on the pavement being banned in the Highway Code and also the Highways Act.
The waste company says that one in three incidents is now being prosecuted in Staffordshire, where the police force helped design a template for reporting dangerous driving.
Since a campaign, Driving Recklessly on Pavements (DROPs) was launched, more and more police forces are now on board, halving the number of incidents in some areas.
One in three of the 300 reported incidents of illegal driving by Biffa staff led to prosecution according to police figures.
Some older trucks are still not fitted with cameras but Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents praised the initiative.


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Slovis, dominant defense power No. 20 USC past Utah 33-17
Nov 22, 2020, 11:59 AM
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The great Southern California teams were known for their confidence. On the road against Utah, these Trojans took another step toward restoring the program's past glory.
"We played with a swagger tonight, especially on defense," coach Clay Helton said.
Kedon Slovis threw for two touchdowns and No. 20 USC smothered Utah in a 33-17 victory Saturday.
Slovis completed 24 of 35 passes for 264 yards for USC (3-0, 3-0 Pac-12), but the Trojans' defense took centerstage, forcing five turnovers to stay undefeated and move into pole position for the Pac-12 South title.
"All week, our guys talked about playing like this was a bar fight. We played with a lot of viciousness and everyone was zeroed in," linebacker Kana'I Mauga said.
USC's game plan from the outset was to stop Utah's ground game.
"At all costs, stop the run," Helton said. "Once we did that, our pass rush forced throws that were interceptions, got sacks and fumbles. We were in the backfield all night."
Utah (0-1, 0-1) was the final major conference team to make its 2020 debut after coronavirus cases scuttled its first two scheduled games of an already-delayed season.
The long layoff didn't do the Utes any favors as they made critical errors and couldn't get any rhythm going on offense. Consistent quarterback pressure by the Trojans and a rugged rush defense had a lot to do with that.
"I thought we'd be much more productive offensively with the veterans we have there. Our O-line didn't take control or push people around like we expected," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
Cameron Rising, a Texas transfer, made his first start for Utah but threw an interception in the first quarter and then was strip-sacked by Marlon Tuipulotu for his second turnover and got injured on the play. Vavae Malepeai scored on a short run one play later to give USC a 10-3 lead.
Jake Bentley, a graduate transfer from South Carolina, replaced Rising but was often off target. After two negative-yard drives and misfires on his first four passes, Bentley used a 33-yard run to spark the Utes' offense and capped the first half with a 7-yard touchdown strike to Samson Nacua. USC led 24-17 at halftime.
The USC defense, led by Ralen Goforth's 12 tackles and Mauga's 11 stops, harassed Bentley and kept Utah scoreless in the second half. After two comeback wins, USC's first victory in Salt Lake City since 2012 ended without much drama.
"The confidence was just radiating, so I even said, 'Go get the ball and bring it to me.' Two plays later, they got the turnover and handed me the football," Helton said.
In the second half, USC engineered three drives that concluded in Parker Lewis field goals. The defense did the rest.
The Trojans didn't look particularly polished themselves and didn't have a bevy of offensive fireworks. Maxs Tupai sacked Slovis, and Nephi Sewell scooped up the fumble and took it 23 yards for Utah's first touchdown.
"I need to execute better. We left a lot of points on the board," Slovis said.
Slovis hit Tyler Vaughns for an 8-yard score after a 42-yard completion to Vaughns that finally got the Trojans' offense rolling.
On a run-pass option, Slovis threw a 10-yard touchdown to Erik Krommenhoek for a 24-10 lead.
The Utes have annually featured one of the Pac-12's top defenses, but they had to replace nine defensive starters from last season. Surprisingly, it was the lack of offense that scuttled any upset bid.
USC snapped Utah's 11-game home winning streak.
"Nothing feels regular this year," Whittingham said.
After winning their first two games by a combined five points, USC's 16-point victory will look good to voters and the Trojans should rise in the rankings.
USC: The defense looked stout. The offense still hasn't reached its potential and the unit struggled to run the ball, but the passing of Slovis was plenty good enough. USC has two home games and a visit to crosstown rival UCLA remaining, setting up the Trojans for a big finish to this shortened season. "We will hit on all cylinders someday soon and I look forward to it," Helton said.
Utah: The Utes were worried about a really young defense, but the offense's inability to move the ball and the five turnovers doomed Utah. "We knew it was going to take some time with this young group but we hope it will come soon," Whittingham said.
Southern California: Hosts Colorado next weekend.
Utah: Plays at Arizona State next weekend.
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


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Last week, our weather here in Texas teased us a little by finally dipping just below 100 degrees for a few days. It almost made us want to pull out the jackets, but we've lived through enough years here to know that it won't really cool down for at least another month or two. This cute tunic dress from Elisabeth of Growing Home is a project that will still get a lot of wear this season. See her blog for the pattern and complete how-to.
Join Make: Community Today


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Richard Land, the highly visible top ethics official for the Southern Baptist Convention, announced Tuesday that he would retire next year.
Land said he will step down as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in October 2013 on his 25th anniversary at that post.
"Let me be clear, I am retiring from the ERLC, not from the ministry, or from what is popularly called the 'culture war,'" Land wrote in a letter to the ERLC board of trustees. The resignation was first reported by the Baptist Press, the news service of the SBC.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission takes public stands on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. In his position at the commission's head for nearly 24 years, the outspoken Land has become the most visible spokesman for the nation's largest Protestant denomination. He often appears on television and until last month he hosted a weekly call-in radio show on the issues of the day.
Land was forced by the commission's board of trustees to give up that show after he made what the board called "hurtful, irresponsible, insensitive, and racially charged" remarks on the air about the Trayvon Martin case. That included claims that President Barack Obama, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson had exploited Martin's death for political gain. Martin was an unarmed black Florida teenager shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer.
"We have carefully considered the content and purpose of the Richard Land Live! broadcast," the board's public reprimand said. "We find that they are not congruent with the mission of the ERLC."
The statement went on to say the board was especially disappointed because the remarks did not accurately reflect the body of Land's work. That includes being one of the chief architects of a 1995 resolution by Southern Baptists apologizing for their role in supporting slavery and racism. The denomination was founded when Baptists splintered over the issue of slavery during the run-up to the Civil War.
The controversy over Land's remarks came amid a diversity push aimed at increasing declining church membership and just weeks before the SBC annual convention where the Rev. Fred Luter Jr. was chosen as the convention's first black president.
David W. Key Sr., director of Baptist Studies at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, said Land might be known as a strong conservative but at times he has "kept the SBC from going too far to the right."
For example, under Land's leadership the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has supported a version of the DREAM Act — the proposed law that would allow illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to earn legal status, either by going to college or serving in the military.
Land's letter said his retirement would free him to engage more fully in the "culture war's political debates."
"I believe the 'culture war' is a titanic spiritual struggle for our nation's soul and as a minister of Christ's Gospel, I have no right to retire from that struggle," Land wrote.


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PARIS – The knife-wielding attacker who went on a stabbing rampage in Paris,killing one person and wounding four more, was born in Russia's Chechnya region, a judicial source said.
The attacker was shot dead by police after stabbing five people in a popular tourist district near the Paris opera house Saturday night, when sidewalks and restaurants were filled with people.
During the attack, he yelled the Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar," meaning "God is great," city prosecutor François Molins told reporters at the scene.
He was on a police anti-terror watch list of people suspected of having radicalized views and posing a potential security risk, though had no criminal record, the judicial source said.
The attacker's mother and father are in police custody for questioning. A friend of the attacker has also been detained for questioning, a judicial source told CNN on Sunday.
ISIS claims responsibility
In a statement published online, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, calling the assailant a "soldier of the Islamic State."
The attacker was born in Chechnya, a republic in southwest Russia, in 1997, a judicial source in Paris told CNN on Sunday.
ISIS has long recruited radicals from the North Caucasus, a semiautonomous region of Russia that has been in conflict with Moscow since declaring independence in 1991.
Horror on the streets of Paris
The attack happened about a 10-minute walk from the Paris opera house, known as Palais Garnier. British restaurateur Oliver Woodhead described to CNN the terrifying moment the attacker confronted police and was shot dead.
"We (my barman and I) both came out and it was at this moment that the attacker came round the corner, with his hands up, covered in blood, holding a box knife," said Woodhead, visibly shaken.
"Three police got out of the police car and had him encircled and tasered him several times to no effect. And then he (the attacker) managed to isolate one of the policeman, get him further down the street, and then the policeman fired twice and the attacker fell."
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told reporters gathered at the site of the attack Sunday that, "I am with the victim and with the young man, young French and Parisian man, who died yesterday. But we are here and this city is still alive"
French President Emmanuel Macron also paid tribute to the courage of the police who "neutralized the terrorist" during the attack, in a tweet Saturday. The President added that his thoughts were with the victims.
What's the Chechnya-ISIS connection?
Militants from the former Soviet Union have proved to be fertile recruiting ground for jihadists in recent years, with analysts estimating thousands have gone to fight for terror cells in Syria.
As Michael Weiss, a national security analyst for CNN and author of "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror" explains, many of these radicals are already battle-hardened from decades of conflict with Russia.
"In 2015, weeks before the grisly Paris attacks, I interviewed a former ISIS operative who had defected from the terror organization and wound up temporarily in Istanbul," recounted Weiss.
"He said the most admired — and feared — contingent of ISIS recruits were the "Chechens" — in this case a reference not just to citizens of the semiautonomous region of the Russian Federation, but to those who had grown up in the greater Caucasus or various Central Asian republics that attained their independence upon the collapse of the USSR.
"Many were in fact Chechens or Dagestanis, battle-hardened from decades of civil war and insurgency back home."
France's deadly toll
The stabbing is the latest in a series of Islamist-inspired terror attacks in France in recent years.
It comes less than two months after a hero police officer was killedafter swapping places with a female hostage during an attack by an ISIS supporter on a supermarket in Trebes, southern France.
In January 2015, a total of 17 people were killed in attacks on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo,a kosher grocery store and the Paris suburb of Montrouge. In November that year, at least 130 were also killed in attacks at several locations across the French capital, including the Bataclan concert hall and Stade de France.
And in 2016, 86 people died in Nice when a truck rammed into crowds during Bastille Day celebrations.


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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
Gay Cowboys to Lasso bin Laden in Sequel
Exclusive to STR
Washington D.C. is often referred to as the ugly person's Hollywood. Likewise, Hollywood is full of scum sucking trash who don't care about anyone except themselves. So really, the two were made for each other. They're like sisters. Two spoiled sisters who America watches intently, even though deep down, nobody knows why. Let's call them the Hilton sisters!
Currently, these sisters hate each other and totally mean it. The Washington sister tries to regulate the content of the Hollywood sister's performances, and the Hollywood sister attacks the Washington sister with her product. Meanwhile, the rest of America watches as the two sisters flail about the room, pulling each other's hair. Oh yeah!
Once a year, the Hollywood sister puts on a pageant where her stuffed animals gather and congratulate her on how awesome she is. Known to the rest of America as the Oscars, this ceremony celebrates the best of Hollywood's undertakings in the last year -- namely, in my opinion -- ones that read Washington's diary. But this year, some of the finer movies regarding Washington's foreign policies -- like Syriana, The Constant Gardener, Lord of War and Jarhead -- are being greatly ignored. Only one movie is sweeping the nation with words of gold: Brokeback Mountain! Woo! Ride 'em cowboy!
This movie about two gay cowboys' secret love affair has swept the nation; it's extremely well shot, well acted, well written and the like. But you could also say the same about Syriana or The Constant Gardener. Brokeback has earned Oscar buzz because it's something that has never been done before in this fashion, and more importantly, Hollywood thinks it's sticking it to Washington (or sticking it in Washington!) over the elections of 2004, where the Gay Marriage issue split the country in half. Brokeback is a way to state to the establishment "we're here, we're queer, and we wear chaps."
As much as I support Brokeback and its cause, why oh why can't we give some national attention to a movie like Syriana? The story is meticulously researched, interconnecting five stories around the CIA 's involvement (on behalf of US oil company interests) in the Middle East . Brokeback is a love story. It begins, it moves you, and it's over in two hours. I've heard a lot of good jokes relating to Brokeback (the reason you know they're gay is because they're dressed like cowboys), but I've heard a lot of good discussions coming out of Syriana (mainly: Is this crap really happening?)
Maybe Hollywood should start combining its efforts into one big, happy, gay loving, corruption-exposing melee. How about two male CIA agents who fall in love on the trail of tracking terrorists in Pakistan? Their first homoerotic love making session takes place in a cave, only to discover Osama bin Laden is hiding in the same vicinity!
In the end, the U.S. government commends the gay lovers for their work and accepts their affair on a national level. Audiences will be moved by an acceptable love story and informed about their own nation's foreign policy. The best of both worlds are combined. And Osama bin Laden ends up having his own gay lovers -- in a maximum-security prison. Oh yeah! Get 'em Hollywood!


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"Great TV Mistakes" – Doctor Who
Is it sad that I'd noticed quite a lot of these?
They missed out the bit in TEOT when you can see the entire crew wearing high-vis jackets reflected in Davey T's sunglasses… -
Oooh I didn't catch the bit in TEOT… where was it?
Probably best watched without the sound on.
There's also a flipped shot of Matt Smith in The Pandorica Opens. You can tell because his hair is parted on the opposite site and holds the sonic in his left hand.
there's plenty mistakes not shown here but i tend to ignore them cos i'd rather just enjoy the show than dwell on any little errors.
i argee with Carn, nit-picking like that is annoying sometimes – like in this series Rory's badge and in The Beast Below there were several obivous continuity errors like the smilers, the star whale and the voting booth. But i didn't know about them before one of my friends pointed it out. But it is funny how the production team make mistakes. some editors may be watching this and saying OMG i didn't notice that.
There's an episode of Monk (Mr Monk & The Tv Star, I think it's called) where the ocd inflicted former cop is helping out with a case centering around a guy in a show. On the set between retakes of the same scene (for editing and angles and whatever) Monk sees a continuity error which the crew seem thankful at first but then he starts noticing more and more due to his ocd and detective skills to the point the crew end up getting a bit fed up with it all. That's what this reminded me of 🙂
Don't pay a lick of attention to this stuff when it happens, but love to look at it and laugh later on. The most satisfying thing about them is that they're still happening today, despite all the money being thrown at the current series. Nothing like throwing a big Tennant era goof in the face of one of those snooty "fans" who likes to point out how "shoddy" the series used to be!
Oh, and on this subject… anyone who saw THE EXPENDABLES catch Stallone's disappearing flak jacket in the cockpit scene near the end? One minute it's not there, the next it is, and then suddenly it's gone again!
Extremely annoying & unfunny! This video comp and the narrator are as funny as child constantly kicking the back of your seat during an 8 hour flight!
I was waiting this whole clip for them to mention the man splitting open his trousers during his death in The Horns of Nimon. It never came. I guess no one wanted to sit through the Horns of Nimon again to double check.
The commentator didn't happen to mention a mistake he made himself. The destruction of St Stephen's Tower isn't CGI as he claimed. It was a model shot. And the orginal mistake, necessitating flipping the effect was made by the storyboard artist who drew the effect wrong in the first place. Credit where due, duckums!
On the episode (partners in crime) season 4 with cathrine tate, where she is at the lose weight siminar, her mole keeps switching sides on her face.